The instant invention relates to ring display systems and more particularly to a ring display system including an anti-pilferage ring tag.
It is well known in the jewelry art to display finger rings in a display assembly including a flocked or felt top pad having a plurality of spaced slits through which the ring shanks are inserted whereby the ornamental top portions of the rings are visible above the slitted pad. It is also well known to attach to the ring shank a small information tag, better known as a dumbbell tag, which folds around the shank of the ring and then is glued to itself. The tag is usually sized so that it fits within the ring shank opening whereupon it is substantially concealed when the ring shank is received in a slit in the pad. The tag typically includes style numbers and price information, etc. When a prospective purchaser wishes to try a ring on, the ring is removed from the pad in which it is mounted, and placed on a finger with the dumbbell tag still attached. The ring is then either purchased or returned to the display.
One of the major problems in display systems such as this is pilferage. Many people will try on a ring, and then if they like it and want to avoid paying for it, they simply rip the dumbbell tag off and put the ring on their finger and walk out of the store. One solution to the pilferage problem has been to provide ring displays with a plurality of locking bars which pass through the ring shanks when they are received in the display pad so that the rings cannot be removed from the display until a sales person operates the mechanism to unlock the bars. While effective in preventing pilferage, the repeated locking and unlocking of the display by a sales persons is undesirable.
In addition to the pilferage problem, when the rings are inserted into their display, the dumbbell tags will not often pass through the slitted pad and hence will be visible at the top of the pad, which creates a rather unsightly appearance to the overall display.
The instant invention overcomes the above problems by providing a ring display system comprising an anti-pilferage tag assembly and a display assembly for receiving the rings with the tag assemblies attached thereto. The tag assembly includes an elongated, rigid card and a flexible, tear resistant strap for securing the card to the ring shank. A first end of the card includes an enlarged shoulder portion, a neck portion and a seat portion having an arcuate seat for receiving the ring shank in abutting relation. The seat portion comprises two flexible fingers which extend upwardly and outwardly from the neck portion and cooperate to form the seat. In use, the fingers flex to conform to various diameters of ring shanks when received in abutting relation therewith. For attachment of the card to the ring shank, the strap is received through the shank of the ring and the first and second ends of the strap are secured to opposing surfaces of the card by means of pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the surfaces of the dumbbell strap. The adhesive makes a permanent bond that cannot be peeled off. Since the strap is tear resistant, and the adhesive is permanent, the card cannot be easily removed from the ring without the aid of scissors. Furthermore, since the card is highly visible when a ring having the card attached thereto is worn by a potential purchaser, the chances of theft detection or prevention are greatly improved. Yet at the same time, a potential customer may try on a ring for size and appearance even though the card is attached to the ring shank as aforedescribed.
The display assembly for receiving the rings with the tag assemblies attached thereto includes a display pad having a plurality of spaced slots for receiving ring shanks and further includes a stand for supporting the slotted display pad in an elevated position above a supporting surface. In use, the elongated card is passed through one of the slots in the pad so that the ring shank is received in the slot in a conventional manner. It is noted that the stand has a depth which is greater than the length of elongated card so that the card can hang freely below the slotted pad when the ring shank is received in the slot. The display pad further includes a rigid backplate having a plurality of slots therein, wherein the slots have a width which is greater than the thickness of the card but less than the thickness of the shoulder so that the shoulder portion of the card is retained above the backplate. The rings are thus prevented from falling through the display pad into the interior of the stand where they are not visible for display or accessible for removal.
Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention are: the provision of an anti-pilferage tag assembly for a finger ring which is attached to the ring shank and which cannot be easily removed from the finger ring; the provision of an anti-pilferage tag assembly including an elongated card which is highly visible when the ring is worn on a finger by a purchaser; the provision of a ring display system including an anti-pilferage tag assembly having an elongated card attached to the shank of the finger ring and further including a slotted display pad supported in an elevated tray for receiving the finger rings and for accommodating the elongated cards below the slotted pad; and the provision of a ring display assembly including an anti-pilferage tag assembly and an elevated display pad wherein the tag assembly engages a rigid backplate of the display pad to prevent the rings from slipping through the pad.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.